Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Two Alumnae Receive Awards from NIEHS

Allison Kupsco

Nicole Sparks

Allison Kupsco and Nicole Sparks, ETOX alumnae, recently received Pathway to Independence awards from the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences.  Allison is currently an Associate Research Scientist at Columbia University and Nicole is a Chancellor's Postdoctoral Fellow at UC Riverside. As described on the NIEHS website, the initial award provides 1-2 years of mentored, postdoctoral support.  The second phase (R00) provides up to 3 years of independent research support and is activated when the awardee accepts a full-time tenure-tract faculty position. Allison's project is entitled, "Prenatal exposures to flame retardants: mitochondrial signatures and childhood obesity", and Nicole's is "Analysis of environmentally sensitive epigenetic machinery during osteogenic differentiation".  Our congratulations to both Allison and Nicole for these career-enhancing awards and the recognition that comes with them. 


Study Press Release Is Viewed Nearly 1 Million Times



The research of Poona Deol, an Assistant Project Scientist at UCR and former ETOX postdoctoral fellow, Gwendolyn Gonzalez, an ETOX graduate student, Professors Maggie Curras-Collazo and Frances Sladek, ETOX faculty members, and their collaborators has received widespread attention with nearly a million views in 2020.  The description below is from the UCR CNAS newsletter:  Our congratulations to this group for their research and its recognition. 

"The American Association for the Advancement of Science’s EurekAlert! news site announced that the UCR press release about dangers associated with soybean oil, America’s most widely consumed oil, became the most-viewed press release in its 25-year history. The release detailed the findings of the study led by Margarita Curras-Collazo, associate professor of neuroscience, was published in the journal Endocrinology. UCR University Communications research writer Jules Bernstein was honored by AAAS’ EurekaAlert! for writing the press release." [The photo above is from the UCR News release.]

Risk Assessment Position in Montana

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality is recruiting a Risk Assessor (Environmental Project Officer - 21140175) to work in its Waste Management & Remediation Division.  The announcement closes on February 11th.  More information can be found here

Our thanks to Patrick Wilson, UCR Alumnus and current employee of the EPA, for alerting us to this opportunity.

Friday, January 22, 2021

Toxicologist Position in Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Office of Research and Standards (ORS) is seeking to hire an individual with a background in regulatory toxicology and risk assessment, who will be working largely in the area of PFAS and other emerging contaminants.  See the description of this position and a link to the job posting below. 

Environmental Analyst IV - (200007X0)

Description

 

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is the state agency responsible for ensuring clean air and water, the safe management of toxics and hazards, the recycling of solid and hazardous wastes, the timely cleanup of hazardous waste sites and spills, and the preservation of wetlands and coastal resources.

 MassDEP’s Office of Research and Standards (ORS) seeks applicants with training and experience in regulatory toxicology, in particular with respect to PFAS and other emerging contaminants. ORS provides scientific leadership in the areas of toxicology, risk assessment and policy to all MassDEP programs. 

Click here for more information


Our thanks to Patrick Wilson, a UCR alumnus who works at the EPA, for letting us know about this opportunity.  

Monday, January 4, 2021

Prof. Haga-Yamanaka's Research on Smell and Exercise is Highlighted

The research of Prof. Sachiko Haga-Yamanaka, an ETOX faculty member, Ted Garland and their collaborators was recently highlighted in UCR News and in various news outlets.  Their research showed that one's sense of smell may play an important roll in the motivation to exercise.  The research suggests that the perception of specific smells can influence the exercise habits of different individuals.  Their work is continuing in an attempt to identify the specific chemicals involved. More information on their research can be found at UCR News or in Psychology Today.  Our congratulations to Sachiko and her co-investigators for their work and its recognition. 

Update: Their work has also now been highlighted in Chemical and Engineering News.